Digital wristwatch, digital watch, and digital clock

• US 8,111,589 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joel Vidal
• Original Assignee: Joel Vidal
• Inventors: Vidal, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kayes, Sean
• Application Number:
  US12/761,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20110255379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 368/71, 368/84, 368/242, 368/223, 368/82
• US Class Current: 368/71
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/025 acting only at one preselected time
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/026 acting at a number of different times
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/047 provided with means for displaying at will a time indication or a date or a part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/06 using light valves, e.g. liquid crystals

Abstract

Digital wristwatch, digital watch, and digital clock. For example, a digital wristwatch comprises: a clocking module able to track: (a) current real time, and (b) rounded time; and a display unit able to display at least the rounded time. Additionally or alternatively, the digital wristwatch comprises: a clocking module able to determine current real time; a rounding unit able to determine that the real current time is at least two seconds prior to a rounded horological hour, and able to calculate rounded-up horological information; and a display unit able to display the rounded-up horological hour.

Claims

1. A digital clock comprising:

A clocking module maintaining a measurement of a current time in at least units of hours and minutes and a display which in at least one mode displays a rounded time only in units of hours, wherein the rounded time is obtained by rounding the current time to the nearest hour, such that the displayed rounded time is a simple approximation of the current time, the display additionally displays the current time adjacent the rounded time, and individual indicia of the current time are smaller than indicia of the rounded time.

2. The digital clock of claim 1, wherein the display unit is able to substantially continuously display a integer number, wherein the integer number is an integer in the range of 1 to 12, wherein the integer number represents the whole horological hour which is closest to current real time, wherein the integer number is updated exactly once per hour.

3. The digital clock of claim 1, wherein the display unit is to substantially continuously display:

(a) the rounded time; and

(b) the current real time.

4. The digital clock of claim 1, wherein the display unit is to substantially continuously display:

(a) the rounded time; and

(b) the current real time,

wherein the rounded time is displayed at a size greater than the current real time.

5. The digital clock of claim 1, wherein the clocking module comprises:

a real-time hours counter to track real-time hours value;

a real-time minutes counter to track real-time minutes value;

a rounded-time hours counter to track rounded hours.

6. The digital clock of claim 5, wherein the clocking module is to check whether current content of the real-time minutes counter differs from 60 by not more than a pre-defined rounding interval;

and if the check result is positive, to assign to the rounded-time hours counter a value which is equal to;

one plus current value of the real-time hours counter.

7. The digital clock of claim 6, wherein, if the digital wristwatch utilizes a 12-hour time format, then the clocking module is to wrap-around to 1 a value of 13 assigned to the rounded-time hours counter;

wherein, if the digital clock utilizes a 24-hour time format, then the clocking module is to wrap-around to 0 a value of 24 assigned to the rounded-time hours counter.

8. The digital clock of claim 6, wherein the rounding interval is user-modifiable.

9. The digital clock of claim 6, wherein the rounding interval is approximately 30 minutes.

10. The digital clock of claim 1, wherein the display unit is to update the rounded time displayed thereon exactly once per hour.

11. The digital clock of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface to receive a user selection of a display mode, from a set of two or more available display modes;

wherein the clocking module is to command the display unit to display horological information according to the user selection of the display mode;

wherein the set of two or more available display modes comprises a set including;

(a) a display mode which substantially continuously presents both the rounded time and the current real time; and

further including at least one of the following display modes;

(b) a display mode which substantially continuously presents only the rounded time;

(c) a display mode which substantially continuously presents the rounded time and, using a smaller font size, the current real time;

(d) a display mode which substantially continuously presents, alternately, the rounded time and the current real time.

12. The digital clock of claim 1, wherein the clock is a wristwatch.

13. The digital clock of claim 1, wherein the digital clock is comprised in a wristwatch.

14. The digital clock of claim 1, wherein the digital clock is comprised in a portable electronic device.